We can use almost any material to make cribscapes. These are the woods we have chosen to offer a wide range of color, price and finish. Other materials can be had, by quotation. All are available with a standard seal coat or unfinished, in case you would like to try finishing yourself.

Our Main Materials

Alder
Alder is known as the 'poor man's Cherry'. It is so close to cherry that it is often substitued in furniture applications.

Other Hardwoods

Red Oak
Red Oak is a popular and readily available oak family. It has a distinctive grain that anyone with oak furniture or trim in their homes will recognize immediately.

Mahogany
African Mahogany ranges from a pinkish hue to a darker brown. It has a shimmery grain that is immediately recognizble.

Cherry
Cherry. Respected hardwood for almost any application. Pricey and beautiful.

Walnut
Walnut has a chocolatey rich tone that accents and contrasts most any other wood finish. It is our favorite to work with as it carves beautifully.

Other Materials

Exotics & Your Own WoodWe will sometimes work with customer supplied material on a case by case basis. Contact us for details. Our selection of Exotics follows.

Pardu
African Pardu has a bright Orange Red color throughout that becomes a deep rich Red when lacquered.

Purpleheart
Purple Heart is exactly what you see - solid Purple. We have not been able to finish this wood without having the color shift darker towards brown, so for now, we will only sell boards made of PurpleHeart unfinished.

Zebrano
Zebrano or Zebra Wood has contrasting Dark and Light Tones throughout. It is the most expensive material we have worked with and makes a beautiful board. While Zebrano finishes well, it is another material we are often asked to ship unfinished. Because of the material cost Zebrano boards are special order only.

Bamboo
Bamboo is an amazing wood, and we were not sure if it would even make a cribbage board... But it makes a great one!. Because of the material cost Bamboo boards are special order only.

More Information

Lacquer Finish
If your board is finished we will use a Water Base lacquer to finish it. Lacquer finishing brings out the colors and depths in the wood, seals it and reduces the effect of warping. If you prefer finishing with standard lacquers or oil rubs, you will need to order an unfinished board and apply it yourself.

Solid Wood or Laminated Wood
Sometimes when we can't get a particular wood wide enough to make a cribscape, we laminate sections together to make a big enough piece. This actually makes for a more solid board that is less prone to warping than a solid peice, as the peices warp at different rates and directions but can't move because of the glue joint(s). Hence the laminated wood moves less.